THE SPARC DIFFERENCE

We all know Linux works smoothly on PCs, but the PC’s x86 archictecture is just one of a range of platforms Linux supports. This article gives you a head start with setting up Linux on a Sun SPARC machine.

During the .com era, nearly every company was running on Sun systems, and the Sun SPARC platform was also a big part of the market share in academia. This abundance of SPARC machines means you can pick up a SPARC for not much money – you might even have an under-used SPARC sitting around your office. Linux has supported the SPARC platform for many years, and SPARC is still one of the most popular alternative platforms for Linux. In many ways, Linux on a SPARC is very similar to Linux on a PC, but if you want your SPARC installation to go smoothly, there are some differences you should keep in mind. This article describes some SPARC systems that work with Linux, some Linux systems that work with SPARC, and some details you’ll need to know if you’re putting Linux on a Sun.

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